Chusetts



(No Model.)

H. D. & D. W. SWIFT.

EIQVEIIOPIv MACHINE.

No. 470,632. PatentedMar. 8, 1892.

UNTTEE STATES PATENT @Trina i HENRY D. SVIET AND DANIEL WHEELER SVIET, OF VORCESTER, MASSA- CI-IUSETTS.

ENvi-:LoPs-MAcHmI-z.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,632, dated lli/[arch 8, 1892.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that we, HENRY D. SWIFT and DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Machines, set forth in the annexed specification containing a full, clear, and exact description of the na- 1o ture of our invention, accompanied by drawings showing such parts of an envelope-machin e as embody ourinvention and which form.

a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a section of a portion of an envelope-machine, showing the parts of the machine to which our invention refers; and Eig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts in the different views. zo Our invention relates particularly to that part of au envelope-machine employed in carrying the envelope-blank after it has been gummed downward upon the folding-bed and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the operating mechanism by which the plunger is actuated, whereby the motion of the plunger is gradually accelerated in its downward movement and gradually retarded in its upward movement.

3o As our invention concerns onlythat portion of an envelope-machine'by which the plunger is operated, we have shown those parts only in the accompanying drawings, in which-4 A denotes the frame of the machine carrying the table B, to which the foldingbed C is secured.

D is the main driving-shaft journaled in the frame A and having near one end au eccentric E, the strap E of which is connected by 4o means of the rod E2 with the short arm a of the bell-crank lever F, which is pivoted on the shaft or tie-rod G. The longer arm b of said bell-crank lever F supports one end of the connecting-rod F', the other end of which is pivoted to the vertical slide F2, sliding in ways H, secured on top of the table B. To the front side of the slide F2 is attached the arm F3, in which the plunger-plate F4 is supported by means of the rod F5.

5o It will be readily seen and understood that by the rotation of eccentric E the bell-cran k Application tiled August 17, 1883. Serial No. 283,040. (No model.)

lever F will be caused to rock and the arm Z2 will swing, so that the lower end of the connecting-rod will take the positions from l to 5, inclusive, as Vshown by the dotted lines in Fig. l, and although the spaces between the two succeeding points are the same, yet the downward travel of the slide F2 and its attached plunger F4 will be slowest for the same amount of swing on part of the arm h between 6o the points l an d 2. Then it gradually accelerates until the highest speed is obtained between the points 4t 5, the same ratio of travel being held for the return swing of the arm b, but in reversed order. It is therefore clear th at the plunger starts on its downward travel at a comparatively low rate of speed and ends with a quick motion. Then returning it starts with a quick motion and ends its travel at low rate of speed,thus beingin its higher po- 7o sition and therefore out of the way of the folders during almost three-quarters of a revolution on part of the shaft D.

It will be seen that equal angular motions of the arm b at the opposite ends of its swing will -impa-rt a different vertical motion to the slide F2 and plunger F4, and this gradual acceleration of the plunger during its downward stroke and gradual retardation of the plunger during its upward stroke is produced by the 8o relative angular relation of the arm b of the bell-crank F and connecting-rod F with the plunger-slide E2, by which the arm h is made to assume a vertical position upon the deadpoint at the end of the upward movement of the plunger, so that the successive angular movements of the arm h from l to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, and 4 to 5 will produce an accelerated'downward movement of the plunger and the reverse movement of the arm ZJ between l and 9o 5 will be accelerated toward the center and retarded toward each end of thearc l to 5 by the action of the eccentric E, which imparts to the arm ct an` angular motion, gradually accelerated at the beginning and gradually retarded at the end of its throw The plunger F4 therefore possesses a compound motion, caused by the angular relation of the arm h and the connecting-rod F', modified by the angular movement of the arm h, as actuated 10o by a bell-crank or eccentric on the shaft D.

The mechanism for actuating the carriage J is not herein shown or described, as it forms no part of our present invention and because the arrangement and mode of operation ot' the carriage and related parts of the envelopemachine are Well understood, being in common use in nearly all classes of envelope-machines noW in use.

What we herein claim as of our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the folding mechanism of an envelopemachine, comprising a reciprocating plunger by which the envelope-blank is carried upon a folding table or bed, the combination, with said reciprocating plunger, of a rocking lever, to which an angular motion is imparted through connected actuating mechanism, substantially as described, and a connecting link or rod connecting said rocking lever with said reciprocating plunger, the angular relation of said connecting rod or link and said rocking lever being so arranged as to impart an accelerated movement to the reciprocating plunger as it approaches the folding-bed and a retarded motion to said plunger upon its reverse movement, substantially as described.

2. In the folding mechanism of an envelopemachine, comprising a reciprocating plunger by which the envelope-blank is carried upon a folding table or bed, the combination, with said reciprocating plunger, of a rocking lever, a link or rod connecting said rocking lever with said reciprocating plunger and having such angular relation to said rocking lever as to cause an accelerated movement of the plunger as it approaches the folding-bed and a retarded. movement of the plunger upon its reverse motion, and an actuating-eccentric operatively connected With said rocking lever, whereby said rocking lever is uniformly accelerated and retarded throughout its angular movement, substantially as described.

- HENRY D. SWIFT.

D. WHEELER SWIFT.

Witnesses:

RUFUs. B. FOWLER, CHAs. F. SCHMELZ. 

